Students explore the varied aspects of herbalism and connect with plant wisdom within a caring & inclusive learning environment. Classes are held in the garden, forest, fields & herb kitchen at RiverSong Farm, Saxapahaw, NC.
Upcoming Classes in Herbal Medicine for Spring 2023
Spring into Herbal Self-Care
Saturday, April 15, 2023 | 12:30 – 4:30 PM, RiverSong Farm in Saxapahaw, NC
with Certified Nurse Midwife and herbalist Belinda Lashea & Lea Clayton, clinical herbalist and massage and bodywork therapist, LMBT #5134, BCPP.
Kala with late winter chickweed (Stellaria media) in the RiverSong herb garden.
Spring is a time to be nourished by the rising energy of the Earth. Just as we awaken from our winter dreaming, many of our best wild weedy herbs also emerge, ready to harvest for food and medicine.
We will connect with and learn from our herbal allies through plant meditation, embodied movement exploration, class lecture, and hands-on medicine making in the RiverSong herb garden.
Join Herbalists Belinda Lashea, CNM and Bear Root midwifery and Lea Clayton, LMBT, BCPP, proprietor of GreenHeart Herbs for a half-day plant exploration with some of our most beloved healing weeds that flourish in the spring.
Class Instructors:
Herbalists Belinda Lashea, CNM and Bear Root midwifery and Lea Clayton, LMBT, BCPP & GreenHeart Herbs.
GreenHeart Plant Meditation Classes
Sundays, April 23rd, May 21st & June 11th | 1:00 – 3:00 PM, RiverSong Farm in Saxapahaw, NC
with clinical herbalist and massage& bodywork therapist Lea Clayton, LMBT, BCPP
It is a lovely & helpful practice to slow down & spend time with a medicinal plant: to savor its taste & feel its action in our bodies, to let it touch our hearts & show us how we can heal ourselves with its help. In this way, the plants themselves are our elders & teachers in their own right. They speak to us in a common language that we are fluent in at birth. Even if we have forgotten that language though the years, it is a straightforward process to regain that ability.
In each class, clinical herbalist Lea Clayton will choose one healing plant ally and guide students through a simple plant meditation. After the meditation, students will explore traditional & modern ways the herb can support health and wellbeing.
Only safe & gentle plants will be explored in this series, and the class is open to all levels of experience. With plant meditation, it doesn’t matter whether someone is brand new to herbal medicine or has been learning about herbs for years: the plants always have something new to share - & new ways to reveal themselves. Within the teaching/learning circle we create in these classes, we are all on even footing; everyone's unique insight into the plants is valued.
There are 3 classes in this series. Each lasts 2 hours and will be held on a Sunday afternoon on April, May and June. The cost for each session is $35.00. You will need to purchase a ticket for each class individually through the EventBright link button below.
About the instructor
Lea Clayton is a clinical herbalist, an NC licensed massage & bodywork therapist & a board certified Polarity Therapist (LMBT#5134, BCPP.) She has been in bodywork practice since 2004 & clinical herb practice since 2018. She began her herbalism education in 2003 as an apprentice to local wise woman herbalist Suki Roth and is currently completing a 4 year clinical training with David Winston, RH.
As an herbalist she both consults individually and offers group classes in botanical medicine. She grows and wildcrafts herbs, makes medicine and maintains a small (but awesome!) herbal dispensary at RiverSong Farm, her home in Saxapahaw.
Alchemy of Fire & Water: Sleep and Insomnia through the Lens of Chinese Medicine
Sunday, May 7, 2023 | 10:30 – 12:30 PM, RiverSong Farm in Saxapahaw, NC
with Herbalist & Licensed Acupuncturist Jonathan Edwards
Successful herbal treatment of insomnia - an ever more common complaint - begins with an understanding of the physiology of sleep. This class, suitable for students at all levels, introduces East Asian Medicine perspectives in sleep and insomnia. Students will learn about several different patterns of insomnia and general treatment strategies for addressing them.
In addition to lecture style presentation, we will taste and sit with at least one plant, and incorporate some gentle qigong to help us embody the material.
Please note that in-depth insomnia treatment info and specific herbal formulas are beyond the scope of this intro class and may be covered in subsequent classes depending on student interest.
About the instructor
Jonathan H Edwards, LAc. practices East Asian Medicine with a focus on herbal medicine for psycho-emotional, digestive, menstrual and reproductive health conditions. His training includes a four-year Classical Chinese Medicine masters from NUNM in Oregon and Ayurvedic studies in the US and Nepal, where he studied on a Fulbright fellowship in 2008-9. He is well-versed in Western herbalism as well as Asian approaches and aims to help bridge the gap between different styles and schools. Alongside his medical practice, he holds a longstanding interest in divination traditions from the Yijing (I Ching) to Indian astrology, disciplines he leans on in his Wayfinding work to help creative people navigate major transitions with grace. Jonathan also makes artisanal, therapeutic-grade incense and natural perfumes. He can be found at The Wellness Alliance in Carrboro, at JonathanHadasEdwards.com, or at Heartward Sanctuary in Silk Hope, NC.